


Elements of Love

by helloyesIamtrash, Nata1967



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Elements of elements, Fluff, Happy Ending, Light Angst, Like, Love Confessions, M/M, Multi, Pure, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmates, Telepathic Bond, lol, the lightest of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-12-17 09:06:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11848392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helloyesIamtrash/pseuds/helloyesIamtrash, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nata1967/pseuds/Nata1967
Summary: Kenma first heard the voices when he was in preschool, the three of them. They felt like the crackling warmth of a fire, a bolt of lightning, the cool breeze on a summer's day. He had never heard of them before. They sounded nice.They said something about being soulmates.





	Elements of Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MiladyMarijn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiladyMarijn/gifts).



> Hey it's a soulmate thing that's outside of the main series wowowowowowow 
> 
> For the contest winner, MiladyMarijn! I hope you like it love <3
> 
> (P.S. 'a' are thoughts and "a" are when they're speaking)

This is a story about a different kind of soulmates. No, not the kind with tattoos of raging animals or delicate flowers. No, not the kind where the first words they say to you appear on your skin. And no, definitely not the kind where you can write on your body and get a message in return… Though that’s closer than the others. 

Kenma had first heard the voices in preschool, when he had refused to talk to the teacher because she scared him. She was tall and nice enough but pushed too hard for Kenma to speak. She was threatening him gently in the halls to keep him in at recess if he didn’t at least join his classmates in whatever the activity was, but all Kenma remembered was a voice in his head saying ‘that’s not very nice’. He looked up, confused, until he saw a boy that he remembered living a few doors down from him. 

“Junko-san, that’s not very nice.” He said, his cheeks puffed out in as much defiance as a little boy could muster, and his teacher went on to explain that Kenma wasn’t talking at all, and she couldn’t help him learn if he didn’t talk. The boy frowned. 

“But I’ve heard you talk before, our moms are friends.” He said, turning to Kenma curiously. Kenma froze, weighing his options as he looked between his teacher and the boy, and turned to the teacher. 

“I can talk fine.” Kenma said in a high, clear voice as he glared at the teacher, who looked shocked and more than a little miffed. 

“See? He can come to recess now, I can take him.” The boy said triumphantly, and the teacher reluctantly let him go. They walked out to the playground hand in hand, and he smiled widely down at him. 

“You’re Kenma, right? I’m Tetsurou. Wanna play on the swings?” He greeted cheerily, already pulling him away. Kenma didn’t seem to have a choice in the matter, but he didn’t mind too much. He silently let himself be dragged along, but there was a smile on his face. 

The next school year, he hadn’t heard anything from the voice since, but then it came back. But this time, there were more of them. 

‘Uh, hi?’ The original one said, very cautiously. Kenma could tell that it was Kuroo- the voice didn’t sound particularly like Kuroo, in fact, it didn’t sound like much of anything. It was just a feeling more so, a curious tone and the distinct feeling of a crackling hearth being its distinguishable features. ‘Can anyone hear me? My teacher said that I gotta have one, you gotta be there.’ 

‘What are you doing in my brain?’ Another one exclaimed, louder than the first. The words were accompanied by a shock running through Kenma’s body that didn’t feel much like his own. This one was more electric, like lightning down his spine and an excitable feeling. ‘Oh, wait! Is this the- the soulmeet thing?’ 

‘Soulmate, yeah! Hi!’ The original one greeted, clearly happier this time. ‘My teacher said we couldn’t say our actual names, so you can just call me… uh…’ There was a pause this time. ‘She said parts of our names were usually fine, so call me Tetsu!’ 

‘Awesome! I got a soulmate!’ The lightning one cheered, its voice rumbling like thunder. ‘You can call me, uh- Bo! Bo is good! What happens if we say our real names, though?’ 

‘Teacher says that it’ll just sound like static.’ 

‘Oh.’ 

‘My sister has a soulmate,’ A new voice said, hesitant but calm. It was like a lazy breeze going through windchimes. ‘But she only has one. Can you have more than one?’ 

‘I have more than one?’ Bo exclaimed, the lightning striking again, but it was clearly… happy? Which was strange, because Kenma was pretty sure lightning was supposed to hurt. Or something. 

‘She says people can have more than one soulmate, so yeah, you’re ours too! What can we call you?’ Tetsu returned, the fire burning warmly and dousing him with light. There was silence for a moment. 

‘Aka, I guess? My name’s a little weird for nicknames.’ Aka said, quieter now, but still as calm as he was in the beginning. Kenma found this all a little overwhelming, but he was still confused and these voices probably knew the answer. 

‘What are soulmates?’ He thought softly to them, and all conversation stopped. 

‘Another?’ Bo crackled and struck once more, his excitement causing more shocks. Kenma could have sworn he saw static crackle harmlessly in his fingertips. 

‘Soulmates are people who you’re meant to be with for the rest of your life,’ Tetsu informed him cheerfully, clearly pleased at the addition of another member. 

‘Is there anyone else here?’ Aka asked, but was met with silence to his breeze. ‘Four soulmates.’ He declared, and the others made noises of agreement. 

‘What could we call you?’ Tetsu asked, and he could feel that it was aimed at him. He couldn’t say part of his name, Kuroo knew him well enough to know that it was him. He was sure of it. And Kenma didn’t want him to find out, not yet. It was too much, too fast, and it wouldn’t be fair to Aka and Bo to not know them first, right? Think, think. 

‘Don’t like my name. I like cats. My mom wants to get one called a Ca-Calico?’ Kenma thought shyly, and the others created a disharmony of all of their elements; despite the loud noise, it was almost comforting.

‘Calico, then.’ Aka said gently, and with that, they all began to speak about their likes, dislikes, and all of that. Kenma was content to listen, and when he walked back home from school with Kuroo, he could feel the warmth that was no doubt radiating in the other’s chest. No, he could actually feel it… Maybe Aka and Bo could, too. But that was very different than seeing the gap-toothed grin on Kuroo’s face. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Years passed by, and all four of them were so tightly knit together that it was kind of ridiculous that Kuroo hadn’t figured out that Kenma was Calico. Kuroo and Bo were in their last year of middle school, while Kenma and Aka were in their second. Around Kenma’s third year of elementary school, he realized that he could talk to them all separately, if he focused hard enough. 

So, of course he went to Aka first about the issue, because he was the most level-headed of them all. His advice as to tell Kuroo if he felt comfortable, but if he wasn’t, then wait and be patient. However, he also reminded him that they were all soulmates for a reason, and there was no need to be so awkward about it. After all, they had known each other for years. 

Kenma knew that he was overthinking it far too much, of course, but that didn’t mean he could just stop it. 

It was in Kenma’s second year of middle school when Bo accidentally found out- Kenma had been careless and had sent a thought to both Bo and Aka at the same time- ‘Tetsu was made the volleyball team captain, he looked so excited when he ran to my house’. Bo, of course, screeched his thunder and lightning and demanded answers. Once explained, Bo also (very reluctantly) respected Kenma’s boundaries, but told him very firmly that ‘You realize that we all love each other, right? And he loves real-you as a best friend, at least, so why would you be scared when he cares about both real-you and Calico?’

Kenma found it… hard to argue with that logic, but still remained stubborn. He definitely wouldn’t have told Kuroo himself. 

And he didn’t, in the end. 

Bo did. 

Kenma wasn’t feeling the best, so he had stayed home that day, wrapped in blankets and feeling properly miserable. A year had passed since Bo had figured out, and thankfully both he and Aka had said nothing to Kuroo. He was grateful for that. 

‘How was everyone’s day?’ Aka asked to all of them, as was the typical routine for them all to talk about their days later in the evening. 

‘Great! I got that project turned in today, and my teacher said I did well!’ Bo cheered, and Kenma felt a flood of relief curl inside of him- he knew how hard Bo had worked, and it was good that his hard work had paid off. 

‘That’s great, Bo! Mine was okay, nothing too special.’ Aka hummed, his calming aura helping Kenma relax, if only for a few moments. 

‘Well, I played with my team for a while, and I’m getting a lot better at my recieves!’ Tetsu/Kuroo reported proudly, and everyone sent good feelings towards him. ‘What about you, kitty cat?’ He addressed Calico.

‘I’m sick. Didn’t do much.’ Kenma thought quietly, and he could feel sympathy seeping in from his fingertips. 

‘Sorry, Calico.’ Aka said gently, the familiar wind chimes tinkling in his ears. It brought a soft smile to his lips. 

‘My best friend is sick, too. Maybe you and him could throw a sick party.’ Tetsu chuckled, his flame flickering, and if only he could realize the irony.

‘Hey, Tetsu! You live close to Calico, why not give him some soup?’ Bo cheered, and Kenma could feel his heart stop. The flame flickered in confusion. 

‘Wait, what?’ Tetsu asked, and now Kenma was certain that they could all feel the worry and stress and anxiety building in his stomach. Kuroo was thick-headed sometimes, but he definitely wasn’t dumb. The cogs were turning in his best friend’s head.

Tetsu spoke one word, but it came out as static. And it was definitely Kenma’s name. With that, the flame burned brightly and roared with something Kenma couldn’t name, wasn’t sure of at all. He couldn’t tell, couldn’t speak, or do anything. 

‘I’m sorry!’ Bo wailed to him, addressing him and him alone as he thought so many apologies that Kenma couldn’t even properly comprehend them. His usual lightning was now a rainstorm, the water drenching and relentless. 

‘Calico, are you okay?’ Aka addressed him separately, his wind chimes picking up speed as they worried about him. But Kenma couldn’t bring himself to reply, even though he wanted to. He couldn’t even begin to think of what he could say to any of them, much less Tetsu… No. Much less to Kuroo. He could feel that fire replacing the worry in his stomach, and it wasn’t his own. It was Kuroo’s and it was getting hotter. Kenma just folded in on himself, burying himself in his blankets. 

He could hear the doorbell ring downstairs, his mother’s voice and Kuroo’s in the entranceway. 

The fire was burning, now, and it almost hurt.

Those familiar footsteps were walking up the stairs now rapidly, and the door to Kenma’s room all but flew open. With how he was burrowed in blankets (like it could somehow protect him), he couldn’t see the look on Kuroo’s face. He almost didn’t want to. He was shaking and cold and absolutely terrified, and he was sure all of them could feel that. Suddenly, the fire stopped, cooled down to a gentle warmth. He felt a weight sag down next to him on the bed. 

“Kenma, look at me,” Kuroo spoke clearly, out loud this time. Kenma didn’t move. “You realize that you’re only prolonging this, right? I’m not gonna hurt you, it’s just me.” His voice was gentler now, the warmth licking over his burns in an apology. Somehow, it didn’t hurt. Shyly, Kenma moved the blankets and opened one gold eye to look at him, and wow. 

Kuroo looked… happy? 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Kuroo asked quietly, his hand gently moving the blanket to reveal at least his whole head. His fingertips slowly brushed away stray hairs as he looked at him. Kuroo knew that Kenma could never lie when he was looking straight into his eyes. 

“I didn’t want us to change.” Kenma whispered shakily, and Kuroo’s eyebrows furrowed. 

“... If you don’t want to date me, that’s fine, Kenma.” Kuroo murmured, but Kenma knew better. His eyes were sad, heartbroken, even. He shook his head. 

“No. I didn’t want for us to date, and then suddenly everything was different and weird.” Kenma mumbled lamely, but… Let’s just say that there were certain things he didn’t want that he knew most people did. That was one of the concerns, but he mainly didn’t want Kuroo to suddenly be a different person. In hindsight, that was a stupid reason, Kenma was realizing. Kuroo looked at him, long and hard. 

“That’s really dumb. You’ve known me for years, do you really think I’ll change so quickly?” Kuroo asked, a wry little smile on his face. Kenma shrugged sheepishly. “Then I don’t see a problem. I love you, Kenma. I loved you and Calico, and I always thought that it was so wrong for me to love you because you weren’t my soulmate, but I guess I was kind of dumb too, huh?” He snickered softly. 

“You’re always dumb, Kuroo.” Kenma let out a tiny, breathy laugh, and Kuroo’s eyes just lit up as he pulled Kenma into a hug. The flame was bright and burning, now, but not harmful. No, it felt good, like a perfect day in the sun. They both knew that this was his way of saying that he felt the same. 

‘... It’s been twenty minutes, I’m tired of waiting! Are you guys okay?’ Bo thundered in their minds, and Kuroo chuckled. 

‘Bo, I told you to wait-’ Aka started, but Kenma cut him off. 

‘It’s fine, Aka. We’re fine.’ The thunderstorm stopped, the wind setting itself. 

‘Thank goodness.’ Aka murmured, finally at peace once more, and they all were content. Perhaps not whole yet, but content. 

The next time one of them met each other, it was around a year later. Kuroo and Bo were first years in high school now, and Kenma and Aka were in their last year of middle school. Kenma and Kuroo had officially started to date, though they were hesitant at first because they didn't want to leave the other two out. However, they were both very insistent- 

‘It wouldn't be fair for you two to hold back your feelings just because we haven't all met yet.’ 

‘Yeah, we want you guys to be happy!’ 

-that the other two make their relationship known. It was very thoughtful of them, even though they sometimes felt left out. But when they did, they always had each other, and everything was fine. 

Then, of course, came a twist of fate, as there always is. Kuroo was traveling on a rickety bus with stars in his eyes and his teammates around him. It was his first practice match, and though he wasn't a big fan of some of their third years, he still had friends on the team and had a lot of fun. He was proud of their work and was ready to take on whatever came their way. 

The team they were facing, Fukurodani, apparently had power but lacked control for some of their players, and Nekoma had always liked those kinds of teams. 

They were easier to break, easier to beat. 

The captain was a nice guy whose name Kuroo could never remember, but he could tell right away that the vice captain, a second year with a sharp eye and a captivating smile, was the real leader. Kuroo could hear him during warm-ups, using the right word to get everyone fired up. Well… all except one. 

“Where is Bokuto? I told him ten thousand times to get here on time. And where is he? Not here.” The vice captain complained with sheer annoyance and distaste dripping from his lips. The captain frowned at him. 

“Domori, he’ll be here. He texted in chat that his little sister was sick and he was waiting for his mom to come back from work so he didn't leave her alone.” He chided, and the vice captain had the decency to look sheepish. Kuroo smirked a little at that. Serves the guy right. 

“Sorry I’m late!” A door flew open suddenly and a blur flew in like a bar out of hell. Kuroo turned in confusion and was met with the sight of a boy who was probably the kid they were talking about. His hair was messy and terribly dyed, hanging low in front of his eyes and barely brushed, if at all. He seemed to be full of nervous energy, or was it excitement? Kuroo honesty couldn't tell. Kuroo couldn't put his finger on it, but… the guy was kind of familiar. And he had a feeling that he knew exactly why.

‘Hey, Bo? What are you doing today?’ He thought privately to his soulmate, not wanting to bother Kenma or Aka if he was wrong. Bo replied right away, as he always did. 

‘I’m at a volleyball match! Cool, huh? I was a little late, but it’s fine, no one really minded that much I don’t think… Or maybe they did? I dunno-” Bo began to ramble, and static electricity sparked on Kuroo’s fingertips. Even so, Kuroo couldn’t process it as he stared at the boy not twenty feet away from him, who had suddenly stilled and had a worried look on his face. “-Wait, why?” Bo stopped his rambling, a curious tone overtaking his previous one. 

Kuroo could only stare, and while Bo wasn’t the brightest person when it came to these things, the look on his face told him that he knew. Quickly, the boy began to look around the gym until his eyes locked with Kuroo’s own. They were golden and flashing like the lightning that he had come to know so well. A wide grin spread across Kuroo’s face, heat rushing through his veins and combining with the lightning strike that he could feel in his very bones. He ran over to him, Bo meeting him halfway and they hugged each other fiercely. It somehow felt so different from Kenma, and yet the same. It was the same in that it was comforting and felt incredibly right, but Kenma’s was more calming and loose. Bo’s was tight and invigorating, the kind where you felt like you were believed in and could do anything with that person. 

“Holy shit, Bo.” Kuroo said quietly, laughter bubbling out from his lips in disbelief, and Bo smiled brightly along with him. 

“Is this happening? Is this real life, Tetsu? Wait, shit, what’s your actual name?” Bokuto asked quickly, and his voice was rumbly and bright, just like Kuroo had imagined. 

“Kuroo. Kuroo Tetsurou.” Kuroo introduced, leaning back slightly so he could actually look at him. God, he was gorgeous, Kuroo was super lucky. Bo lit up at that, grinning a megawatt smile. 

“Bokuto Koutarou!” Bokuro replied, and his good mood was infectious. Sure, their teammates were staring at them, but did Kuroo care? Fuck no. 

‘I found Tetsu!’ Bokuto stormed into their minds, excitement clear in his tone as he smiled widely at Kuroo. Kuroo grinned and walked over with him to the stands, and immediately Kenma and Aka were there. 

‘You did, really?’ Kenma thought to them, his tone solid and grounding, like the earth beneath his toes on a summer’s day. 

‘That’s amazing, I’m so happy for you two!’ Aka added on, a breeze flowing through their minds. Bokuto and Kuroo sighed in unison, and then the matching grins came along. 

‘Aka, I know we can’t like say features and shit, but Tetsu’s really hot. Calico, why didn’t you give us a warning?’ Bokuto whined, thunder rumbling (it was almost petulant), and Kuroo grinned widely. 

‘Because it would fuel his ego.’ Kenma had replied simply, and Kuroo could almost feel the shrug that Kenma was no doubt doing in his room under the covers of his bed. 

“Wait, do you have any pictures of Calico?” Bokuto asked him out loud, and Kuroo’s eyes widened- he completely forgot that he was allowed to tell him everything now that they were here in person! 

“Yeah, I do! His name is Kenma, actually-” Kuroo said, opening his phone and scrolling through a few before he found a selfie that he had taken with Kenma a while back when they had gone to an arcade. Kenma had just won a large plush elephant from a claw machine and his eyes were big and wide, a tiny smile playing on his lips as he leaned on Kuroo’s chest. Bokuto looked at it for a few moments, saying nothing for a little while. 

‘... Aka, Calico is really cute too we hit the jackpot.’ Bokuto thought quietly, and Kuroo laughed loudly at that. 

‘I have no doubt that you’re right, Bo.’ Aka hummed softly, and the rest of the time they spent together was talking about everything they could with each other in person. Bokuto actually didn’t live too far away, which was a relief, and it all felt a little too good to be true by the time that they had exchanged phone numbers and left. 

Kenma wished that he could have been there, but the person who he contacted later that night was Aka. 

‘Are you okay?’ He thought softly, privately to Aka, who had been supportive of Kuroo and Bo finally meeting, but Kenma knew that those two were probably too wrapped up in the excitement to think about Aka yet. He was the only one who none of them had met yet, which would probably lead to all three of them meeting without him and a lot of things that would leave him out. It wasn’t like they meant to, but there wasn’t anything they could do about it. There was silence for a moment, but a small gust of wind blew at Kenma’s hair. 

‘I’m fine, don’t worry about me. Just focus on those two, I have a feeling that they’ll get into trouble if you don’t take care of them.’ Aka reassured him, and though Kenma didn’t completely buy it, he let it be. 

A year had come and gone after that, and now it was Akaashi who was miserable. 

In the beginning, he had truly been happy for them all, for getting to meet each other and have fun. He wouldn’t want to keep his soulmates from enjoying each other’s company, after all. But then they all met each other, and for the first time in what seemed like years, his head was silent. No ground beneath him, no quiet flame in his stomach, no crashing lightning in his mind. Just… silence. He hated it. 

When they had returned, there were all of these inside jokes and things they couldn’t talk about because it revealed something that was deemed too personal and it came out as static. It wasn’t that they weren’t trying to find him, of course, it was that he wasn’t there. He didn’t want them to stop for his sake, of course- he wasn’t that selfish. They were happy, and he couldn’t ruin that. 

He had started his first year of high school by joining the volleyball team- apparently they had one more member that he still hadn’t met, despite having a solid month of practices by now, mostly due to injuries. 

Bo had been whining about how he had fractured his forearm from falling off of some monkey bars on a children’s playground with Tetsu, but Akaashi didn’t think that it would ever be that simple. It surely couldn’t be.

He sighed softly as he looked out the window of the bus, most of his teammates piling on for a practice match. Akaashi put in his earbuds, not really noticing how the bus stopped to let one more person onto the bus before they left. He hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before, since he had been helping Tetsu with a large history exam that he would be having the next week. He had been happy to do it, but a nap was much needed. Come to think of it, his soulmates had been rather quiet throughout the day so far, but he didn’t question it. It had become rather normal, sadly. Akaashi allowed himself to drift to sleep, dreamless and peaceful until he awoke an hour or so later to the bus stopping suddenly. 

He jerked awake with a frown on his face, taking out his earbuds and looking around. It seemed like they had arrived. Akaashi went to grab his bags when he noticed Konoha talking to… a guy that he had never met. His arm was in a cast, perhaps this was the teammate that had been gone? 

“Why are you here, Bokuto? You know we all missed you and everything, but you still can’t play.” Konoha asked the guy, and when he turned around from getting his bag in his seat, Akaashi could only stare. 

His eyes were bright and shining, the gold color popping out against his tan skin. His hair looked like it had been shocked into place, sticking straight up and peculiarly styled. His cast was a neon yellow, but it didn’t look like he was sad or in pain about it at all. In fact, he looked ecstatic. 

“Because my soulmates are on this team, I couldn’t just pass up seeing them!” Bokuto grinned, and Bokuto sprang away down the aisle and ran out the bus doors. 

Bo… Bokuto. Soulmates- two of them. Akaashi’s mind was reeling, because could it possibly be them? Could he really be that lucky? 

Dazed, Akaashi hurried off of the bus just in time to see Bokuto jump into the arms of a tall, lanky teen from the other team. His hair was almost as bad, sticking up at odd angles as he swung Bokuto around like it was nothing. Another one, shorter, watched with a fondness in his eyes, his dyed hair falling to beneath his jawline. None of them had noticed him yet. Akaashi felt a breeze whip around him violently, his emotions flying out of control because this was them, it had to be! The other three seemed to stop too, perhaps his own emotions were strong enough that they had felt it, too. 

‘Aka, are you alright?’ Calico thought softly, and he could feel Bo- no, Bokuto’s thunder rumbling and Tetsu’s flame crackling in agreement of the statement. 

‘All of you, please turn around.’ Akaashi thought shakily, the wind whipping around the four of them alone, and they all turned to see him, clutching his gym bag tightly as he looked at them with a shaky, shy smile. 

“Hello. My name is Akaashi Keiji, nice to meet you all.” Akaashi said quietly, his voice a little wobbly as he spoke, looking between them all nervously. They all looked shocked, had he done something wrong? It stayed like that for a few seconds before all hell broke loose. 

The ground seemed to shift beneath his feet, pulling them all closer without any effort- Calico, no doubt. With the hair dye, he had a feeling that it was the shorter one. Bokuto’s lightning crashed and thundered as he ran towards him, and a fire that had no burn ignited in his chest- Tetsu. They were all here, it was them, and they all pulled him into a group hug. 

“You’re here, you’re all here-” Akaashi murmured in quiet disbelief as he laughed softly, his eyes squeezing shut. Tears were falling, smiles were wide, and all of the elements had finally combined. They were whole.

**Author's Note:**

> They're so cute and wholesome and I love them 
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed! <3


End file.
